234 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



bottle of absinthe. We had a long talk, and I showed 

 him my rifles and inquired about big game in the 

 neighbourhood, but on this subject he denied all know- 

 ledge. During the last few days many men met on the 

 road, or in the villages, had told my servants (but only 

 when their headman and the guide sent with me were 

 out of hearing) that big game was to be found a little 

 to the west of the road we were then following, that is 

 to say, according to the map, not far distant from the 

 Soudan. After I had dined and dismissed with drinks 

 the procession of villagers bringing in bread and tej, 

 I had a long talk with my men, the result of which 

 was to remove all doubt from my mind, that, as a 

 result of instructions, I was being marched along the 

 highway, and that except for small game on the road, 

 the authorities had no intention of letting me shoot. I 

 called my guide, Basha Kassa, and told him that the 

 Emperor had granted me leave to shoot where I liked on 

 the way to Simien, and had moreover given me an order 

 to that effect ; that I heard there were both elephants 

 and buffalo to be found only two days' march from here, 

 and that I proposed starting for the place next morning. 

 After much hesitation, he evaded my proposal by saying 

 that beyond Dungulbar on Lake Tana, which forms the 

 boundary of Gojam, I should find plenty of big game ; 

 but on being pressed, he admitted that Ras Wurgay had 

 given strict orders that I was to be taken straight along 

 the road, and not to be permitted to go off it, the 

 Emperor's orders being that, while I could shoot in 

 ■Simien, I was to do so nowhere else. I was furious 

 at finding 1 had been sent off from Burey by Ras 



